On JD Schulze's Facebook page, a friend has posted a photo of Schulze, grinning inside his protective barrel, with the caption, "I don't understand your specific kind of crazy, but I do admire your total commitment to it."

The two "c" words — crazy and commitment — pretty much sum up what Schulze does. A construction supervisor for a major home builder during the week, the Brighton resident spends his weekends as a professional clown for bull riding competitions. His "specific kind of crazy" is as a barrel man. And while the job looks like a fun way to spend an evening, it has its dangers.

"I've had bulls stick their horns in the end," Schulze said. "I've been knocked out; I've lost some of my front teeth."

JD Schulze with his son, Landon, who will accompany him to Sterling on Saturday. (Courtesy photo)

Schulze will be the barrel man Saturday evening when Buckers Unlimited, LLC holds its finals event in Sterling.

The barrel man is an integral part of the three-part "clown" team; two bullfighters to distract the bull and assist the dismounted or thrown rider, and the barrel man, who sometimes deliberately offers his barrel as a target for the bull and as a shield for the other bullfighters.

The phenomenon of the modern bullfighter originated in the 1920s with the old-fashioned rodeo clown, a flappy-dressed buffoon who cavorted and told jokes during a rodeo to break the tension and provide a few laughs. But when the bulls are ridden, the rodeo clown's job gets serious. He has to distract a three-quarter-ton animal away from the 150-pound man who's just been thrown from the animal's back. Bulls have been known to gore and trample riders on the ground, sometimes with what appears to be malicious intent, and it's the job of the bullfighters to draw the bull's attention away from a downed rider.

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Sometime in the 1930s a clown named Jasbo Fulkerson began to use a wooden barrel with a solid bottom. This allowed him to venture further into the arena to distract the bull, yet have an island of safety to retreat into without having to scramble up a fence rail. By the 1950s some clowns were using reinforced and padded 50-gallon barrels and today most professionals use specially built aluminum or steel barrels.

The barrel offers the other bullfighters added safety, as well, since they can put it between themselves and the bull.

Schulze first got into the arena as a bull rider; friends introduced him to the sport and he enjoyed the "Western lifestyle," he said. When an injury ended his riding career he went to fighting the bulls on foot. One day he was asked to substitute for another barrel man, found that he liked it, and he's been doing it ever since.

A naturally gregarious man, Schulze enjoys the barrel man's other job — keeping the crowd entertained during lulls in the action and to break the tension. Schulze is wired for sound during the bull riding, and razzes the announcer, the riders and members of the audience who catch his eye.

"I have an act set up, kind of a routine, but nothing's set in stone," he said. "I go with the flow."

Now 42, Schulze does more than 60 rodeo performances between the beginning of June and the end of September. He said his "day job" keeps him fit, but lately he's started working out to stay in shape.

"For the most part my work duties keep me in shape," he said. "I have a pretty physical job, going in and out of houses all day, handling lumber and things like that."

It's not surprising that a man as physical as Schulze is also would be involved in sports. He coaches the baseball team his son Landon plays on. Also not surprisingly, he's introduced Landon, now 13, into the act.

He'll keep doing it as long as he can, he said.

"I'm young yet, and it's still fun," Schulze said. "I suppose I'll have to slow down some day, but not any time soon."

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